An Early Sign of Spring

My chickens produced the first egg of the year yesterday–a sure sign that spring is on its way. Chickens, not unlike queen bees, stop laying in the fall. But as spring approaches and the days get longer the hens start laying again. These first eggs are always pretty small and often misshaped. Fortunately in a few weeks the eggs will be big enough to tilt the egg scale nicely.

I’m hoping that the queens in the beeyard are starting to feel the same way. Today the temperature got over 50 and it looks that might be the norm for the next few days.